Mansfield's Tom O'Neill MBE who was recognised for services to medicine celebrates 100th birthday
Mansfield’s Tom O'Neill MBE, a pioneer of the ultrasound – who has a department at King’s Mill Hospital named after him, celebrates his 100th birthday with a special visit.
He was one of nine children, born to parents Tom and Mary O’Neill.
From a young age, Tom was interested in the medical profession and trained as a nurse.
Throughout his medical career, he pioneered the use of ultrasound scanning, particularly in the field of pregnancy scanning.
While working at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Newcastle, Tom met his wife, Laura.
The couple welcomed their first child, Susan, and later had five more children: Sean, Hugh, Richard, Caroline, and Timmy.
Tom, a devoted family man, sought to transition from nursing to study radiography.
After submitting several job applications, he received an offer in 1960 for a position as a senior radiographer in the X-ray department at King’s Mill Hospital. He accepted the job and relocated his family to Mansfield.
Tom’s son, Timmy, tragically died at the age of four in a car accident near their home.
This was a challenging time for the family; however, Tom persisted in his work on developing and pioneering ultrasound technology.
In 1966, he was appointed as the superintendent radiographer at King’s Mill Hospital and became a member of the Society of Radiographers.
Tom collaborated with a naval submariner on a mission to combine medicine and radio waves, and the work was ground-breaking as ultrasound technology remains a vital medical tool worldwide today.
In 1989, to honour Tom's pioneering efforts, the ultrasound department at King’s Mill Hospital was renamed as The Tom O’Neill Ultrasound Centre.
In 1988, Tom received a letter from then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, informing him that he had been nominated for an MBE, which he graciously accepted.
Throughout his life, Tom worked in various hospitals across the UK, but he retired in 1986.
Now, at the age of 100, he lives in Mansfield. Tom's wife, Laura, passed away in 2008.
Although Mansfield is his home, Tom is proud of his Irish roots and identifies as an Irishman.
For his 100th birthday, Tom was visited by Mansfield Mayor Andy Abrahams and received a birthday card from King Charles III and Queen Camilla.